Your Parents’ Favorite Jazz Legend, Lena Horne, passes at 92

News

Another day, another legend passed. Yesterday evening, revered singer-actress, Lena Horris died at 92 in New York, CNN reports.

Upon joining MGM in 1942, Horne became the first African American to sign an extensive Hollywood movie contract, shining a direct spotlight on her. But Horner had other plans. The Brooklynite claimed she was typecast tremendously, her light-caramel skin used as Latin American fodder. But she didn’t feed in. In 1943, Horris said peace to the stereotyped life and starred in the Broadway show, Stormy Weather, a script circling the life of dancer, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, that went on to become her most successful hit.

Horne passed in New York-Presbyterian Hospital. No further details were disclosed explaining the cause of death. In 2007, Oprah announced that Alicia Keys would be starring as Horris in an upcoming biopic. —Tracy Garraud